Disabling Web Services in ESXi • Technodrone

Duncan posted this one this evening.

So to add to his post there is a way to “hide” the web service at least front page

in ESXi the configuration file that is responsible for all this is /etc/vmware/hostd/proxy.xml

<ConfigRoot>  
  <EndpointList>  
    <length>10</length>  
    <type>vim.ProxyService.EndpointSpec[]</type>  
    <e id="0">  
      <type>vim.ProxyService.LocalServiceSpec</type>  
      <accessMode>httpsWithRedirect</accessMode>  
      <port>8309</port>  
      <serverNamespace>/</serverNamespace>  
    </e>  
    <e id="1">  
      <type>vim.ProxyService.LocalServiceSpec</type>  
      <accessMode>httpsWithRedirect</accessMode>  
      <port>8307</port>  
      <serverNamespace>/sdk</serverNamespace>  
    </e>  
    <e id="2">  
      <type>vim.ProxyService.LocalServiceSpec</type>  
      <accessMode>httpsWithRedirect</accessMode>  
      <port>8308</port>  
      <serverNamespace>/ui</serverNamespace>  
    </e>  
    <e id="3">  
      <type>vim.ProxyService.NamedPipeServiceSpec</type>  
      <accessMode>httpsOnly</accessMode>  
      <pipeName>/var/run/vmware/proxy-vpxa</pipeName>  
      <serverNamespace>/vpxa</serverNamespace>  
    </e>  
    <e id="4">  
      <type>vim.ProxyService.NamedPipeServiceSpec</type>  
      <accessMode>httpsWithRedirect</accessMode>  
      <pipeName>/var/run/vmware/proxy-mob</pipeName>  
      <serverNamespace>/mob</serverNamespace>  
    </e>  
    <e id="5">  
      <type>vim.ProxyService.LocalServiceSpec</type>  
      <!-- Use this mode for "secure" deployment -->  
      <accessMode>httpsWithRedirect</accessMode>  
      <!-- Use this mode for "insecure" deployment -->  
      <!-- <accessMode>httpAndHttps</accessMode> -->  
      <port>8889</port>  
      <serverNamespace>/wsman</serverNamespace>  
    </e>  
    <!-- Needed because old versions of the VI client access  
         the clients.xml file over Http for upgrade -->  
    <e id="6">  
      <type>vim.ProxyService.LocalServiceSpec</type>  
      <accessMode>httpAndHttps</accessMode>  
      <port>8309</port>  
      <serverNamespace>/client/clients.xml</serverNamespace>  
    </e>  
     <e id="7">  
      <type>vim.ProxyService.NamedPipeTunnelSpec</type>  
      <serverNamespace>/sdkTunnel</serverNamespace>  
      <accessMode>httpOnly</accessMode>  
      <pipeName>/var/run/vmware/proxy-sdk-tunnel</pipeName>  
     </e>  
    <e id="8">  
      <type>vim.ProxyService.LocalServiceSpec</type>  
      <accessMode>httpAndHttps</accessMode>  
      <port>12001</port>  
      <serverNamespace>/ha-nfc</serverNamespace>  
    </e>  
    <e id="9">  
      <type>vim.ProxyService.LocalServiceSpec</type>  
      <accessMode>httpAndHttps</accessMode>  
      <port>12000</port>  
      <serverNamespace>/nfc</serverNamespace>  
    </e>  
  </EndpointList>  
</ConfigRoot>

The part we are interested in is this

   <e id="0">  
      <type>vim.ProxyService.LocalServiceSpec</type>  
      <accessMode>httpsWithRedirect</accessMode>  
      <port>8309</port>  
      <serverNamespace>/</serverNamespace>  
   </e>

In order to mask the web page all that you need to do is change the port number in the config file and this will lead you to blank page

    <e id="0">  
      <type>vim.ProxyService.LocalServiceSpec</type>  
      <accessMode>httpsWithRedirect</accessMode>  
      <port>**8499**</port>  
      <serverNamespace>/</serverNamespace>  
    </e>

    <!--e id="4">  
      <type>vim.ProxyService.NamedPipeServiceSpec</type>  
      <accessMode>httpsWithRedirect</accessMode>  
      <pipeName>/var/run/vmware/proxy-mob</pipeName>  
      <serverNamespace>/mob</serverNamespace>  
    </e--\>

<e id="6">  
      <type>vim.ProxyService.LocalServiceSpec</type>  
      <accessMode>httpAndHttps</accessMode>  
      **<port>8399</port>**  
      <serverNamespace>/client/clients.xml</serverNamespace>  
    </e>